This invention relates to new and novel compounds, and in particular to ignition resistant polymer compositions containing the new and novel compounds.
Ignition resistance has been found to be a desirable quality for various thermoplastic compounds. These thermoplastic compounds are often used in business machine and office equipment structures and in electronics and telecommunications equipment, for example, in which malfunctioning electrical components or other sources of ignition pose a threat of fire. Other uses include thermoplastics for home construction and tools of various types. Thermoplastic resins exhibit differing ignition temperatures, but in general will support combustion after the source of ignition is removed, at least for several seconds. This may be a sufficient time period to cause substantial damage to the structure itself and also to enable the ignition of surrounding materials.
However, the time of combustion can be significantly reduced when an ignition resistant compound is incorporated into the thermoplastic resin. A number of ignition resistant compounds have been identified to date. Many of these compounds contain halogens and have been used successfully with thermoplastics. However, two problems have been encountered with these. First, their use tends to adversely affect the physical properties, notably impact resistance, of the thermoplastic, and second, their use also tends to impart substantially increased ultraviolet and visible light instability to the thermoplastic, which is itself in many cases already somewhat unstable in this area. This latter problem, which results in increasing discoloration with time, harms the commercial desirability of the final product.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a group of compounds that impart both improved impact strength and improved ultraviolet light stability, as well as ignition resistance, when incorporated into a thermoplastic composition. The present invention is such a group of compounds.